Support for a continuous drain unit connected with a catheter

ABSTRACT

A hanger for supporting a continuous drain unit including a relatively long drainage tube connected at one end with a bag or receptacle, and at the other end with a catheter connected with a patient seated on a chair. The hanger is adapted to support the tube and receptacle on the back of the chair with the tube and receptacle at levels that will insure against injury to such patient due to inadequate drainage from the catheter to the receptacle and which will support the long tube and the receptacle in a position behind the chair and spaced above the floor with the tube compactly arranged to prevent accidental interruption of drainage from distortion of the tube by kinking or localized pressure against the tube, such as from the wheels of a wheel chair when the patient is seated in such chair, or by a heavy object falling on the tube.

United States Patent [191 Samuel et al.

[451 July 29,1975

1 SUPPORT FOR A CONTINUOUS DRAIN UNIT CONNECTED WITH A CATHETER [22]Filed: Sept. 24, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 400,210

[52] US. Cl. 128/275; 4/110; 297/188;

297/D1G. 4; 248/95; 248/311; 248/316 D [51] Int. Cl. A61F 5/44 [58]Field of Search 128/295, 275, 294;

297/188, 191, 194, DIG. 4; 248/79, 89, 316 D, 311, 74 R, 95; 4/110Primary ExaminerRichard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-Lee S. CohenAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Townsend and Townsend [57] ABSTRACT A hangerfor supporting a continuous drain unit including a relatively longdrainage tube connected at one end with a bag or receptacle, and at theother end with a catheter connected with a patient seated on a chair.The hanger is adapted to support the tube and receptacle on the back ofthe chair with the tube and receptacle at levels that will insureagainst injury to such patient due to inadequate drainage from thecatheter to the receptacle and which will support the long tube and thereceptacle in a position behind the chair and spaced above the floorwith the tube compactly arranged to prevent accidental interruption ofdrainage from distortion of the tube by kinking or 10- calized pressureagainst the tube, such as from the wheels of a wheel chair when thepatient is seated in such chair, or by a heavy object falling on thetube.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SUPPORT FOR A CONTINUOUS DRAIN UNITCONNECTED WITH A CATHETER SUMMARY Patients suffering from what ispathologically described as incontinence, or the inability'to controlthe natural evacuation of urine, are normally fitted with catheters,such as for example a Foley catheter which is connected by a tube with adrainage bag. These tubes are normally approximately three-eighthsof aninch in diameter and four feet in length to provide for continuousdrainage when the patient is in'bed.

When the patient is moved to a'wheel chair or other chair, thetube isdisconnected from the catheter and then re-connected when the patient isseated. and the same procedure is followed in returning the patient tothe bed.

Heretofore, no provision has been made for properly supporting the fourfoot length of tube and the drainage bag from the chair to insurecontinuous, unimpeded drainage of urine. As a result, there is imminentdanger from infection due to back up of urine in the bladder from kinkedtubing, or due to a restriction from pressure of a wheel of the wheelchair, or from many other accidental-occurrences that have occurred inthepast.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a hangerfor the tube and bag of a continuous drainage system of the type for bedpatients that is adapted to be quickly and compactly supported on thechair in which the patient may be seated, with the bag, and the drainagetube connecting it with a catheter in the patient, in a position toinsure continuous, uninterrupted drainage, and in which position thetube is safely supported against kinking and accidental distortion thatmight in any way impede free drainage.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a hanger on whichthe relatively long drainage tube and receptacle in a-continuousdrainage system may be supported during removal of the patient from abed to a chair, and vice versa, and which hanger is adapted to bequickly suspended from the back of such chair with the tube andreceptacle supported thereon in continuous drainage relative to thecatheter connected with the patient when the latter is seated in thechair.

An added object of the invention is the combination of a wheel chair anda continuous drainage unit in which the latter is supported safely outof danger against interruption 'of drainage and substantiallyout ofsight, when the unit is connected with a patient seated DESCRIPTION OFDRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a rear view of the hanger, separate from a chair andfrom the continuous drain unit.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of FIG 1.

FIG. 3 is a highly reduced side elevational view of the continuous drainunit supported. by the. hanger on the back of a wheel chair having apatient seated thereon, with part of the wheel broken away to notconfuse the showing of the unit. I

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary rear view of the lower portion of thechair of FIG. 3 with the hanger and continuous drain unit shown thereon.

opening in leg 12 and the legs l2, 15 may be clamped together between ahead on bolt 17 below leg 12 and FIG. 5v is an enlarged,cross-sectionalview at line 5-5 of FIG. I. v

FIG. 6 is anenlarged, top plan view of the upper end of the hanger asseen from line 6--6 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The .continuous drain unit itself is conventional.The hanger for said unit comprises a vertically elongated membergenerally designated 1, having an upper portion 2 and a lower portion.The upper portion may be of channel shape in horizontal cross-sectionalcontour (FIG. 5) with the lower portion being a strip 3 slidably fittedbetween the sides of the channel for longitudinal movement of thechannel and strip relative to each other so the member I may be extendedor retracted to suit conditions, as will later be explained. A retainerpiece 4 may be secured to the sides of the channel 2 adjacent the lowerend and extend across strip 3, to stabilize the two strips in any degreeof extension or retraction of the'member. In FIGS. 1, 2 the member I isat its minimum extension. I The bottom ofchannel 2 is formed with a slotextending longitudinally thereof, and a releasable clasping nut 6, suchas a wing nut, is on a bolt 7 that extends through slot and an openingin strip 3. A head on bolt 7 engages the bottom of channel 2 while thenut 6 engages the strip 3 for releasably locking the upper and lowerportions of member 1 at the desirable degree of extension.

Hereafter, the words rear, rearwardly, forward, forwardly and words ofsimilar meaning will be used with reference to the back of a chair. Thehanger of this invention is suspended from the upper edge or portion ofthe back of the chair in a position bevertically extending leg 14 thatis in opposed relation to the side of leg 10 that faces away fromchannel 2, while the other leg of angle plate 13 extends over and inopposed relation to leg 12 of angle plate 11.

Leg 15 is formed with a slot 16 (FIG. 6) centrally between itslateral'free edges that extends away from the juncture between legs 14,15.

A clamping bolt 17 extends through slot 16 and an wing nut 18 with theback 20 of a chair, generally designated 21 between the legs 10, 14. Thelegs 12, 15 will extend rearwardly while leg 14 will be flat against theforward surface of the back 20 and the member 1 will extend downwardlybehind back 20.

A plate 25 is centrally rigidly secured against the rear side of thelower end portion of the strip 3 of the member 1, so as to facerearwardly away from the chair 21. Said plate 25 is generallyrectangular having vertical lateral free edges.

Upwardly opening spring clips 26, 27, 28, 29 rigidly secured on plate 25project rearwardly therefrom, each being adapted to yieldably grip theflexible, plastic drainage tube 30 (FIG. 4) of a continuous drainageunit.

Clips 26, 27 are respectively along one of the two opposite lateral orvertical free edges of plate 25, with clip 27 at a slightly lowerelevation than clip 26 when the hanger is suspended from the back of achair. Clip 28 is spaced below clip 27, and along the same edge of plateas clip 27, while clip 29 is at a still lower level than clip 28 andalong the same edge as clip 26.

The outside diameter of tube 30 is normally threeeighths of an inch, andof sufficient rigidity that the tube may be readily sprung through theopen side of each clip into the clip to be frictionally held by theclip. each clip being a flat annularly extending spring band adapted toextend partially around the tube with one free end bent outwardly tofacilitate springing the tube through the open side of the clip.

The receptacle of a continuous drainage unit is normally a somewhatflattened bag 32 having an upper edge or side provided with a cord 31connected at the ends with the upper side of the bag at spaced pointsalong the latter to provide a loop for suspending the bag from a pointabove the latter.

An upwardly opening hook 33 is secured on strip 2 at a point spacedabove plate 25 a sufficient distance to suspend the bag 32 therefrom ina position below said plate, the hanging loop 31 also being ofa lengthto so position the bag when the latter is suspended from the hook.

Bag 32 has a fitting 34 at one end of its upper edge for one end of thedrainage tube 31, and a discharge fitting 35 at the lower portion of thebag is adapted to be swung from an upright position to a downwardlyextending position to withdraw urine from the bag without disconnectingthe tube 30 from the catheter or from the bag.

As already mentioned the tube 30 is relatively long to provide forconstant drainage when the patient is in bed.

Upon moving the patient from the bed to a chair 21, which may be a wheelchair or an ordinary chair, the tube 30 may be disconnected from thecatheter and the bag 32 hung from hook 33 and the tube 30 reconnectedwith the catheter and the length of the tube between the catheter andthe bag secured by the clips 26 29 in the form of a return bend with oneportion 36 (FIG. 3) extending from the catheter across the forward edgeof seat 37 and then rearwardly and downwardly to clip 26. From clip 26the tube extends slightly downwardly across the rear face of plate 25 toclip 27, and to a return bend 38 and downwardly to clip 28, and down-.wardly across the plate 25 to clip 29, and from clip 29 downwardly tofitting 34 on bag 32.

By this arrangement the continuous discharge unit and the chair andpatient on the latter are positioned relative to each other to be movedas a unit to different positions, particularly if the chair is a wheelchair. The extra length of tubing and bag are supported above the floorand close to the chair at the rear side of the latter in a positionwhere the tube is safe from being stepped on or run over by the wheelsof the chair. Also, the tube cannot become accidentally kinked throughshifting it around, and it is supported in an inconspicuous position.

We claim:

1. In combination with a chair having a seat elevated above a floor anda back extending upwardly from one edge of said seat:

a. a continuous, flexible drainage tube having a catheter at one end forfitting on a person seated on said seat;

b. a receptacle connected with the other end of said drainage tube;

c. a portion of said tube between said catheter and said receptaclebeing flexed to form horizontally extending lengths one above the otherconnected at one of their ends by a return bend and the other end of theupper length connected with said catheter with the other end of thelower length connected with said receptacle;

d. means removably supported on the back of said chair supporting saiddrainage tube including the lengths of said portion thereof extendingdownwardly from said seat to said receptacle and supporting saidreceptacle in a position rearwardly of said seat and below the levelthereof.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 in which:

c. said chair is a conventional wheel chair having a pair of main wheelssupporting it for movement over the floor;

f. said receptacle and said portion of said tube being supported by saidlast mentioned means between said main wheels and the entire length ofsaid tube being supported on said chair above the floor.

3. A hanger for supporting a continuous drainage unit that includes thedrain-receiving receptacle and a continuous drain tube connecting saidreceptacle with a catheter fitted on a person seated in a chair having aseat and back, comprising:

a. a vertically extending receptacle and tubesupporting member;

b. tube supporting means on said member at its lower end for supportinghorizontally extending lengths of said continuous drain tubeintermediate said receptacle and said catheter in position spaced oneabove the other and connected at one of their ends by a return bend witheach of said lengths included downwardly in a down-stream direction forcontinuous drainage of urine therethrough in said direction;

c. receptacle supporting means on said member for releasably supportingsaid receptacle in a position below the lowermost of said lengths;

(1. member supporting means for removably supporting said member on saidchair in a position in which said tube supporting means is spaced belowthe level of the seat on said chair, whereby continuous drainage fromsaid catheter to said receptacle will be effected when said lengths andbag are supported on said member in said respective positions and thecatheter is fitted on a person seated in said chair;

e. said vertically extending member comprising an upper portion and alower portion in longitudinal alignment connected for movement of saidlower portion to different adjusted positions projecting downwardly fromsaid upper portion, and means for releasably securing said lower portionto said upper portion in each adjusted position;

f. said bag supporting means and said tube supporting means beingsecured on said lower portion whereby their positions relative to eachother will remain the same in each of said adjusted positions.

1. In combination with a chair having a seat elevated above a floor anda back extending upwardly from one edge of said seat: a. a continuous,flexible drainage tube having a catheter at one end for fitting on aperson seated on said seat; b. a receptacle connected with the other endof said drainage tube; c. a portion of said tube between said catheterand said receptacle being flexed to form horizontally extending lengthsone above the other connected at one of their ends by a return bend andthe other end of the upper length connected with said catheter with theother end of the lower length connected with said receptacle; d. meansremovably supported on the back of said chair supporting said drainagetube including the lengths of said portion thereof extEnding downwardlyfrom said seat to said receptacle and supporting said receptacle in aposition rearwardly of said seat and below the level thereof.
 2. Thecombination as defined in claim 1 in which: e. said chair is aconventional wheel chair having a pair of main wheels supporting it formovement over the floor; f. said receptacle and said portion of saidtube being supported by said last mentioned means between said mainwheels and the entire length of said tube being supported on said chairabove the floor.
 3. A hanger for supporting a continuous drainage unitthat includes the drain-receiving receptacle and a continuous drain tubeconnecting said receptacle with a catheter fitted on a person seated ina chair having a seat and back, comprising: a. a vertically extendingreceptacle and tubesupporting member; b. tube supporting means on saidmember at its lower end for supporting horizontally extending lengths ofsaid continuous drain tube intermediate said receptacle and saidcatheter in position spaced one above the other and connected at one oftheir ends by a return bend with each of said lengths includeddownwardly in a down-stream direction for continuous drainage of urinetherethrough in said direction; c. receptacle supporting means on saidmember for releasably supporting said receptacle in a position below thelowermost of said lengths; d. member supporting means for removablysupporting said member on said chair in a position in which said tubesupporting means is spaced below the level of the seat on said chair,whereby continuous drainage from said catheter to said receptacle willbe effected when said lengths and bag are supported on said member insaid respective positions and the catheter is fitted on a person seatedin said chair; e. said vertically extending member comprising an upperportion and a lower portion in longitudinal alignment connected formovement of said lower portion to different adjusted positionsprojecting downwardly from said upper portion, and means for releasablysecuring said lower portion to said upper portion in each adjustedposition; f. said bag supporting means and said tube supporting meansbeing secured on said lower portion whereby their positions relative toeach other will remain the same in each of said adjusted positions.